Fires of the Past
by Relaen
Summary: An orphaned girl is sent to stay at Xavier's school and she has very powerful abilities. Unbeknowest to her, she is going to find what she was always looking for: her family. Fic is being combined with Jesus Freak's 'Down In Flames'. To read the combined
1. 1

The rain beat the old building that the young woman carrying a bundle stood in front of. Fog surrounded the city like a tourniquet. The woman rang a bell that stood to the side of an iron gate that surrounded the dilapidated structure. After a few moments, a nun, no older than twenty, came running out of the building under an umbrella.  
  
"We are closed today!" the nun said, yelling to be heard over the thunder that lit up the street.  
  
"Please!" the woman begged. "I have a child and she'll die if she stays with me!"  
  
The nun looked at the small bundle in the woman's arms and nodded. She took out a large skeleton key and opened the gate. The woman passed the bundle to the nun with a grateful smile before turning and running down the street.  
  
The nun took the child inside the building and took the rain-soaked blanket from around it. It was a small girl, no more than seven months old. She already had a full head of red hair and bright, red eyes. Inside the blanket was a small photo that had a man, the woman, and this child. On the back there was a single name, Niaga Marie Monroe.  
  
*****  
  
"Niaga! Come back here now!" Sister Retsis yelled at the twenty year old girl who was playing baseball in the courtyard. The girl's red hair now had black tips and her red eyes shone brighter than before. She was tall, about 5'8" and was wearing loose fitting, patched up jeans and a t-shirt that was about two sizes to big for her.  
  
Niaga tossed the baseball to another child she was playing with and jogged over to the nun. "What's up sister?"  
  
"Niaga, I need to speak with you inside." Sister Retsis said. She led Niaga to a small couch that sat in the living room of the orphanage.  
  
"Is everything alright, sister?" Niaga asked, concern on her face.  
  
"Yes and no." Retsis began somewhat hesitantly. "You are legally an adult now and the cardinal in charge of our humble home has decided that it is time for you to move on in your life."  
  
Niaga looked at the sister, shock and hurt on her face. "You're kicking me out?"  
  
Retsis looked around, as if making sure that no one was listening to their conversation. She then pulled a crumpled pamphlet from the interior pocket of her habit and handed it to Niaga. "We both know that you are.special. You have abilities that no one else here has. I know I didn't do very well in teaching you skills to work and such, but this place, this school, they can teach you everything you ever need."  
  
Niaga smoothed out the pamphlet. "Charles Xavier's School for the Gifted?" she read, confusion in her tone.  
  
"I have spoken with Professor Xavier personally and he assures me that it is gifts such as yours that are welcome at his school. He wants you to go there and to teach you. He is willing to wave all tuition fees and he will come here to pick you up. He can teach you everything you ever need know, Niaga." Sister Retsis said, trying to persuade the girl to give in.  
  
Niaga took a deep, unsteady breath. "But.but what about the other kids? What will you do if the heater goes out again? Or worse." She asked, a mixture of worry and fear in her voice. "Did the cardinal find out about my 'special ability'?"  
  
The nun sighed. "Yes. I'm sorry, Niaga, but I really do think this is the best thing for you." She said.  
  
Niaga looked into the sister's eyes and nodded. "If that is what you want me to do, sister, then I will do it."  
  
Sister Retsis smiled. "Thank you. The professor has already sent someone here to get you." She said with a wink.  
  
Niaga laughed. "You knew I was going to give in! That's so not fair!" she said with a grin. She stood and hugged the sister. "I'll go pack.thanks for everything Sister Retsis." She said before running down the hall to her room to put her few belongings in a backpack.  
  
A few minutes later, a large plane landed behind the old orphanage and a man, with short brown hair and red sunglasses, and a woman with short, white hair approached the nun, speaking in whispered voices. Niaga watched from the doorway as the three of them approached.  
  
"Hello Niaga." The man said. "My name is Scott and this is Ororo. We are here to take you to school." He said with a warm smile.  
  
Niaga nodded, but said nothing. She followed Scott and Ororo to the jet and was about to board when she felt someone grab her hand. She turned to see the nun, tears in her eyes, clutching a small photograph in her hand.  
  
"When your mother brought you here, this was with you. I wanted you to have it before you left." The nun said, handing the picture to Niaga with a shaky hand and teary eyes.  
  
Niaga took the picture and smiled. "Thank you for everything sister. You know, you really did teach me all I need to know, God and love." She said before hugging the nun and walking up the platform to the plane. She sat in the furthest seat from the cockpit, wishing she were back in her room in the little, near-collapsing orphanage surrounded by familiar faces and the only mom she ever knew, Sister Retsis.  
  
*****  
  
"She's quiet. How do you think she will adjust in the school?" Scott asked as they flew from the coast of Ireland to Xavier's school in New York.  
  
Ororo sighed. "I don't know. She'll probably end up like the other children do. She'll make friends, learn skills, and master her abilities. We won't really know until we get her home and let her adjust to the environment." She answered.  
  
Scott nodded his agreement. "I just hope she doesn't cause any problems.after everything that just happened with Stryker, we don't need any other stress."  
  
"I'm sure she'll be fine. I think the professor already has plans for her." Ororo replied. They rode the rest of the way to New York in silence.  
  
Scott landed the plane at the school and he and Ororo lead Niaga to a large office. In the middle of the office was a large desk with a man sitting behind it. He smiled at Niaga and motioned for her to sit down. Niaga sat down, looking around uncomfortably.  
  
"Hello Niaga. I am Charles Xavier and I run this school. Sister Retsis told me that you have some very interesting abilities and that we may be able to help you with them." The man said with a warm smile.  
  
//I already know how to control my abilities, professor.// Niaga said, showing one of her abilities, telepathy. //I appreciate your offer to teach me, but I believe I can handle my skills well enough.//  
  
The professor smiled. //You have great control over your telepathic abilities, but what about the other ability?//  
  
Niaga blushed slightly. //I learned my telepathic powers; I will eventually gain control over this.// she replied. As she spoke with the professor mentally, a small flame appeared in her hand. As she moved her hand, the flame grew and shrunk, eventually flickering and disappearing.  
  
"You will fit in very well here, Niaga." Charles said aloud. "Perhaps you can even assist our telekinetic and telepathic children in gaining control of their gifts. Ororo will show you to your room. Welcome to the school."  
  
Niaga nodded and stood. She bowed her head slightly to the professor and Scott before following Ororo to a large bedroom. There were four beds in the room, three of which already had a trunk at the bottom of them. The one that was left was next to the window, in the corner of the room. Niaga walked over to the bed and placed her feeble belongings around her, placing the picture that was given to her under her pillow.  
  
Ororo left Niaga alone to 'set up her area'. Due to the fact that she had little to nothing, this task took only a few minutes. When she finished, she looked out the window, watching the children on the school grounds. She was interrupted by three distinct giggles entering the room.  
  
The three girls stopped laughing and looked at Niaga, unsure what to think. She was older than them, in her early twenties, but her clothes looked as if they had somehow survived five generations. The knick-knacks on her bedside table consisted of a Bible and a baseball in a baseball glove. The girl was looking out the window forlornly, as if she had never been so lost. The three girls looked at each other, none of them wanting to say the first words.  
  
Finally, one of the three stepped forward. She had brown hair with white bangs. "Hi. I'm Rouge. I take it you'll be sharin' a room with us?" she asked, her voice containing a slight southern accent.  
  
Niaga turned and faced the girl, her normally bright red eyes, dulled. She nodded in answer to Rouge's question.  
  
One of the other girls stepped forward. She was Asian with long, black hair. "I'm Jubilee and this is Shadow Cat, or Cat for short." Jubilee said, motioning towards the third girl, who had shoulder length brown hair. Niaga nodded her hellos to the girls.  
  
"Would you like us to show you around?" Cat asked timidly. Niaga shook her head and quickly maneuvered around the three friends, and turning down a corridor without looking back.  
  
"Well that was kinda rude." Rouge said after Niaga left the room.  
  
"I wonder what her problem is." Cat said as she glanced at Niaga's bedside table, looking at the three simple items that were placed so lovingly there.  
  
"Give her a break." Jubilee said as she sat on her bed. "She just left some form of life to come here. She'll come around eventually."  
  
*****  
  
Niaga quickly made her way down the corridor, ignoring eye contact with all of the other students and teachers. After getting turned around a little bit, she found her way to a back door. She opened it and walked outside. She walked to a large tree that stood alone, near the gates of the school. She sat with her back leaning on the tree and her knees up to her chest, observing the other students. For the first time in her life, she felt completely alone.  
  
*****  
  
Scott watched Niaga from the window in Charles Xavier's office. "She isn't a very sociable girl, is she?" he asked, his eyes turning from the girl to Xavier.  
  
"Unlike most of our students, she was very happy where she was. She enjoyed living with the nun and the other orphans." Xavier explained. "She is confused as to why she is here because she has almost mastered control over her abilities and she feels as though she was abandoned by Sister Retsis and she is hurt by that."  
  
"The sister said that she got along very well with the other kids at the orphanage. They looked up to her." Ororo said. "We were also told that she has a lot of skills, besides her mutations."  
  
"What kind of abilities?" Charles asked.  
  
"The nun said that she knows numerous forms of martial arts and knows Japanese and Chinese sword fighting techniques." Scott said as he sat in a chair opposite Xavier. "Apparently there was some old martial arts master at the church the nun attended and he taught Niaga."  
  
"She is also considered a prodigy. She was one of the smartest girls in Ireland." Ororo said.  
  
Xavier turned his wheelchair around so that he could look out the window. Niaga was still under the tree, watching the rest of the school as it went about its daily tasks. "She is a very talented woman, though, in many ways she is still a child. Ororo, take her into town. Buy her some new clothes and try to talk to her. Get to know her. Try to make her feel comfortable."  
  
"Sure thing professor." Ororo said. She went outside to where Niaga was sitting and kneeled in front of her. "Hey Niaga." She said with a smile. Niaga didn't move. "Listen, the professor wants me to take you into town. I'll show you around, maybe get you some new clothes and stuff."  
  
Niaga nodded and stood. Ororo led her to the garage and the two climbed into a white Neon and Ororo drove them to a large mall that wasn't to far from the school. They walked around, looking at the clothes and other stores in the mall.  
  
"See anything in particular you like?" Ororo asked. Niaga stood in front of a window that had a mannequin that was wearing a black shirt with red flames on the bottom of it that tied on the sides, a mid-thigh length black skirt. It also had knee-length black boots that had buckles up the calf and a floor length black trench coat. Ororo looked at the outfit with a raised brow. "You want that?" she asked, as if wanting to make sure she understood.  
  
Niaga smiled slightly and nodded. Ororo sighed and took Niaga in to buy the outfit, and five or six others that were similar. Niaga wore the first outfit out of the store.  
  
The two continued walking through the mall, very rarely stopping at the stores, even though Ororo tried many times to convince Niaga to buy more 'girlish' clothes than the gothic style that she had chosen. Niaga simply shook her head with a small smile on her lips. Ororo had finally given up trying to dress the girl in 'normal' clothes and the two began walking towards the exit.  
  
Niaga occasionally glanced around her, but stayed near Ororo, at least until she saw one store in particular that interested her greatly. She pulled away from Ororo and stared in the window. After a few minutes of walking, Ororo finally noticed that Niaga was no longer following her. She quickly re-traced her steps and found Niaga staring in the window of a knife shop.  
  
"What are you looking at?" she asked her.  
  
Niaga pointed to a sword, nearly eight feet in length with a thin blade. "It's a masamune. A form of kitana." She said. Those were the first words she had spoken aloud since they left the orphanage. She then pointed next to the sword. "Real ninja throwing stars." She said, her voice in awe. She pointed out a few other weapons in the window such as psis and a bow and arrow set.  
  
"The sister said you know how to use weapons like that. Is that true?" Ororo asked, smiling at the awed look on Niaga's face.  
  
Niaga nodded. "I was taught by a man in our church, but he taught me with sticks and wood planks, he didn't have any real swords. He also taught me how to do martial arts and shoot a bow and arrow. I can fight with renaissance swords as well." She said quietly.  
  
"Come with me." Ororo said. She took Niaga's arm and drug the girl inside. "The professor told me to get you some things for your room, anything you would like. Pick out some stuff and we'll get it for you." She said.  
  
Niaga looked at her in shock. "But, alone these things can cost hundreds of dollars! The masamune alone costs five hundred! Not to mention the other kitanas."  
  
"Don't worry about the cost. Point out what you want and we'll get it for you. Don't worry about the money." Ororo said. She then conversed with the sales clerk with Niaga looked around the store, her eyes gleaming at the weapons.  
  
After nearly an hour in the store, Niaga picked out the masamune, a wakazashi, a kitana, a set of psis, a set of throwing stars and a bow and arrow set. They also stopped at a music store and picked out about ten CD's and a stereo for her room.  
  
When they reached the mansion, Scott and Ororo helped Niaga carry her new items to her room. When she arranged her area how she wanted it, she ran to the professor's office, a huge grin still on her face. She ran in the office and threw her arms around the professor.  
  
"Thank you so much, Professor Xavier!" she exclaimed, her arms still around his neck.  
  
Charles smiled. "I am glad that your trip pleased you. Ororo informed me of the weapons you chose. I would be interested to see you use them some time."  
  
"Of course, I will be using them often." Niaga said as she straightened up, still wearing her smile. "I'd gladly give you a demonstration. In fact, I think I'd like to practice with them now." With a wave, she left the office. She walked back to her room and took her throwing stars and swords out to the tree that she was sitting next to earlier. She also brought a portable CD player with her and two of the CD's that had been bought for her. She set up the CD player near the tree and put in 'Fallen' by Evanesance and pulled out her masamune.  
  
*****  
  
"Hey Rouge, have you met that new girl?" Bobby asked. Bobby had short, brown hair and blue eyes.  
  
"Briefly. Before she ran out of the room to keep from talking to us." Rouge answered, annoyance in her voice.  
  
"Check her out now. Storm took her into the city and she came back with all sorts of Japanese weapons and she is in the courtyard using them right now. A whole bunch of us are watching her, she's really good." Bobby said. He grabbed Rouge's hand and led her to the courtyard.  
  
As he had said, a large group of about twenty or twenty-five teenagers had formed a half circle around Niaga as she practiced with her wakazashi. Even some of the teachers had made their way down to watch the new girl, including Nightcrawler and Scott.  
  
Niaga on the other hand, was so enveloped in her practice, that she had not noticed the group until she turned to get her throwing stars from behind her. She placed the wakazashi in its sheath and turned to set it down. As she did, she saw twenty pairs of eyes watching her intensely. She blushed slightly and looked down, unsure if she should continue her practice.  
  
"What's goin' on over here?" a rough voice said. A man walked out from behind the tree that Niaga was practicing near. He had black hair that was spiked up on the sides. He lit a cigar in his mouth and leaned against the tree.  
  
"We were just watching the new girl practice, Logan." A voice said from the crowd.  
  
Logan looked at the weapons that Niaga had laid carefully on the ground. "Did we go back in time a few centuries or somethin'? What is all this stuff?" he said, tapping the masamune with his boot.  
  
Niaga's eyes flashed in anger. "Don't kick them!" she yelled. She knelt beside the sword and carefully inspected the area he had touched, making sure that he had done nothing to them.  
  
Logan looked at her with a raised brow. "It's just some old sword. Not nearly as good as these." He said as he let his adamantium claws come from his fists.  
  
Niaga glared at him. "If used properly, anyone could easily beat you using these weapons. I could beat you now with just my throwing stars and bow and arrow." She said, her tone icy.  
  
Logan laughed. "Yeah, right kid. Ninja stars and an arrow?" he said as he laughed again.  
  
Niaga stood, her fists clenched as she continued to give Logan a stony glare. "If my weapons were dull, we could put it to the test. My throwing stars and bow and arrows against your claws."  
  
"They don't need to be dulled, you aren't going to scratch me anyways." Logan said, his voice matching her cold tone.  
  
"Logan, that's enough. Leave Niaga alone." Scott said as he pushed his way through the crowd.  
  
Logan and Niaga both turned their glares to Scott, who stepped backwards slightly from the menacing gazes. "If he wants to die, then allow me to retrieve my arrows from my room. We will see whose weapons are more suited for battle." Niaga said. Before Scott could protest again, Niaga had walked through the crowd and to her room, everyone quickly moving out of her path. She returned a few minutes later with a bow in her hand and a quiver of arrows on her back.  
  
Logan set his cigar down and stood, waiting for Niaga to make the first move, which she gladly did. She circled Logan slowly and in a swift, fluid motion, she jumped in the air and kicked Logan in the face and stomach and landed while he was still doubled over, the wind knocked out of him. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and shot it, missing Logan's head by centimeters and sticking in the tree behind him.  
  
Logan looked from the arrow to Niaga, who was standing proudly ten feet in front of him. He glared at her, retracted his claws back into his fist and stormed off, heading towards the mansion. Niaga pulled the arrow from the tree and placed it back in her quiver. By this time, the CD player had stopped, so she put it on number six, a song called "Tourniquet" and picked up her throwing stars to continue her practice. 


	2. 2

A/N: Ok, Jesus Freak, thanks for encouraging me to write this, I'm glad I am and I *cannot* wait to write the combined fic!! Wouldn't you like to know-thanks for the review and the compliment. I really appreciate it ^_^.  
  
Ok, so, I've had some flames in the past (not on this story, but others) so I am going to say this now: I DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT X-MEN! I am not an expert nor do I expect to get everything 100% right, so if you are a flamer, lookin to piss people off, don't bother to even read this. Sorry, I don't normally go off like that, but.y'know.flames suck and I don't want any.  
  
Oh, and I also have to advertise real quick: you absolutely have to read Jesus Freak's X-men story 'Down In Flames' cause it is so friggin cool!! And we are gonna write a combined fic, but for you to understand it, you have to read both hers and my original fics.  
  
Right, I guess you want to read now huh.well, here it is ^_^  
  
Chapter Two:  
  
"She shot an arrow at you?" Xavier asked a very angry Logan.  
  
"Yes. She barely missed my head, right after she kicked me twice." Logan answered, a scowl on his face.  
  
"I will speak with her about this Logan. I am very sorry that this happened to you." Charles said.  
  
"I'm just sorry that she beat me, and in less than five minutes!" Logan said, throwing his arms in the air. He paced the room. "I mean, I've never lost a fight that fast. Won them that fast, yes, but lost?"  
  
Charles rolled his eyes. Before he could comment further, a knock was heard on the door. "Come in." Xavier said and Niaga entered the room.  
  
"You wanted to see me professor?" she asked. Her eyes glanced around the room and fell on Logan and her neutral gaze became a cold glare.  
  
"I asked you here because Logan has been telling me some interesting things. You shot an arrow at him?" Charles asked in disbelief.  
  
Niaga rolled her eyes. "Is that what this is about? Listen, I knew I wasn't going to hit him and I also knew that if by some strange chance I did, he wouldn't be hurt." She said with a wave of her hand.  
  
Logan looked at her slack jawed. "How do you know that?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
Niaga sighed from annoyance. //I am telepathic you daft idiot.// "I knew he would be able to heal in seconds if by some odd chance I actually did hit him, which I knew I wouldn't." she said aloud to Xavier.  
  
Charles sighed. "Niaga, just because he can heal, doesn't mean you can purposely hurt him. Just like you can't start fires just because you can put them out." He scolded.  
  
Niaga sighed. "I know and I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have egged Logan on and we shouldn't have battled, especially not in front of the students that had gathered. I undermined his authority over them and Scott's authority by ignoring his request to stop. It won't happen again, professor. I promise."  
  
Xavier couldn't help but smirk slightly. She had just announced his entire lecture. "Just try to keep tabs on your temper, both of you."  
  
"Of course, Professor Xavier." Niaga said. She nodded to the professor and left the office and went to her room, flopping down on her bed.  
  
Logan watched her leave. "I don't know what it is, but there is something about that girl, and I don't know if it's good or not." He said a few moments after she left.  
  
Xavier looked at him and smiled. "You'll figure it out eventually." He said with a knowing look.  
  
Logan shook his head. "You know and you're not going to tell me." He shook his head again and left the office.  
  
*****  
  
"I watched the fight, Magneto. She's strong." Isa said. Isa Vargo was a twenty two year old man. He is 6'2" tall with black hair down to his neck. He had worked along side Magneto for five years, since Eric Lyncher had freed him from his servitude to Stryker.  
  
"And you said she beat Wolverine in five minutes flat?" Magneto asked.  
  
Isa nodded. "And that wasn't even using her powers."  
  
Magneto smiled. "She is very strong indeed then. What are her abilities, or were you able to find out?"  
  
"She is pyrokinetic, telekinetic and telepathic." Isa said. "She knows many forms of martial arts and Japanese sword fighting."  
  
Magneto nodded, taking in the information. "Talk to her. Gain her trust and bring her here. It won't take us long to convince her that we are right."  
  
*****  
  
Niaga sat up in bed. It was late, around two in the morning. She turned on a small lamp that stood on her bedside table and pulled her Bible out. The cover and had creases and tears from being bent and the pages were yellow with age and torn with bent corners from over-use. It was the Bible that Sister Retsis had given her when she taught her how to read.  
  
She flipped through the pages, glancing that the books and chapters. She found where she had left off, in 1 Corinthians. When she got to the page containing chapter seven, a small piece of paper fell from the pages. Niaga picked it up and looked at it lovingly. It was the photograph that the sister had given her before she left.  
  
The picture had a man, a woman, and a baby. The woman was lying on a hospital bed with the man standing beside her proudly. The baby was sleeping happily in the father's arms. The woman had red hair and blue eyes and the man had black hair, spiked up on the sides and brown eyes. He actually looked kind of familiar to her. Niaga flipped the picture over. On the back were three simple words: Niaga Marie Monroe.  
  
'I wonder if anything else was written here.' She said to herself. She grabbed a pencil from her night stand and gently scribbled on the back of the picture, to see if at any point in time anything else had been written on the back of the old photograph. Slowly, three other words appeared on the back of the picture, above Niaga's name: Logan, Naomi, and.  
  
Niaga's jaw dropped as she stared at the names that had formed on the back of the picture. She flipped the picture over to inspect the people more closely. "It can't be." she said, her voice barely able to come out of her clenched throat. She dropped the picture and climbed off of her bed. She had to get out of there. To think. She quickly changed into her old jeans and t-shirt and climbed out the window. She used her telekinetics to lower herself to the ground and she sprinted to the gate, leaving the school grounds.  
  
She climbed over the main gate and walked along the roadside, kicking pebbles in her path. They couldn't be the same person, could they? Could that man really be her father? It seemed so impossible. She was so deep in her thoughts, that she didn't see the man walking toward her. As she kicked a pebble, her foot also hit the shin of the man. She was snapped out of her thoughts by his cry of pain.  
  
"Oh my gosh, sir, I am so sorry!" she said in a very apologetic tone.  
  
"It's alright. We all have our moments." He said as he rubbed his shin. He looked up and smiled at her, holding out his hand for her to shake. "I'm Isa."  
  
Niaga smiled and shook his hand. "Niaga. Again, I'm very sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts and didn't see you."  
  
Isa waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I should have been paying more attention as well."  
  
Niaga smiled slightly and then continued walking. Isa watched her walk a few steps and then walked beside her. "So what are you doing, walking around here at this time?" he asked after walking next to her for a few minutes.  
  
"Just thinking about some things." She said quietly, wondering why this guy was following her. "What about you?"  
  
Isa shrugged. "Just walking. It's the only time of the day when no one is around and I can just walk without interruptions."  
  
Niaga nodded. "It can be hard to find time alone." She conceded.  
  
"Do you live with a lot of people?" Isa asked.  
  
Niaga shrugged. "A few." She said, not wanting to give away where she lived. She didn't quite trust this guy. She had tried going into his mind when he first began walking with her, but he was hiding his thoughts well, as if he knew she would try to figure him out.  
  
"I live with about ten other people, most of them my age or younger. It can be difficult finding time alone, which is why I walk every night." He said. "It must be similar for you at the school."  
  
Niaga stopped walking and looked at Isa. "I never said anything about living at a school." she said suspiciously.  
  
Isa shifted his eyes nervously. "I.uh.I saw you leave the school grounds." He stuttered.  
  
Niaga looked at him with a raised brow. "We are a mile from the school and you were walking in the opposite direction than the school." She looked at him for a long moment, looking into his mind. "You've been watching me all day."  
  
Isa took a deep breath. "No I haven't." he said quietly.  
  
Niaga stepped backwards. "You have! Since I fought Logan in the courtyard! Why?" she demanded.  
  
"I.I.I saw you practicing when I was walking down the street and I watched you fight that guy." He stuttered. "I liked how you fought and I couldn't help but watch you."  
  
Niaga narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know what you think you are trying to do, but it stops here. Somehow you learned to hide your thoughts, so I can't find out that way. Either you tell me the whole story now, or I beat the crap out of you and go home." She said in a threatening tone.  
  
Isa took a deep breath and lowered his eyes, trying to decide what he could tell her without getting yelled at by Magneto. Luckily for him, before he could answer, a person walked behind him and another behind Niaga. He turned and found himself facing Scott Summers. He looked to the one behind Niaga and saw it was Logan.  
  
"Hello gentlemen. It's a pleasure to see you again." He said nervously. He was not prepared for a fight with Niaga, let alone Scott and Logan.  
  
Niaga rolled her eyes. "What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be at the school, asleep?" she asked, exasperated.  
  
"The professor asked us to check on you. It is very strange for one of the students to leave school grounds at two in the morning." Scott said, eyeing Isa suspiciously.  
  
"I had some things on my mind and needed to walk." Niaga said shortly. "And I still have some things on my mind, so if you don't mind, go home."  
  
"Sorry kid. If we go home, you're comin' with us." Logan said, placing a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Niaga pushed him off. "I'm twenty years old; I think I can handle myself. But if you two gents are really bored and want to do something, this guy here has been following and watching me since I beat you up, Logan. Have at him." She said, shooting an angry glare at Isa.  
  
Isa laughed nervously as Logan and Scott closed in on him. 'I didn't want to have to fight tonight.' he thought to himself.  
  
Niaga heard his thought and smirked. //Sucks for you then. You should have told me why you were watching me and I wouldn't have sicked them on you.to late now//. With Scott and Logan busy with Isa, Niaga took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed. She went to the other side of the street and began walking through a park.  
  
Isa looked between Scott and Logan. "Can't we talk about this, guys?" he said weakly. In response, Logan let his claws escape his fists. "I'll take that as a 'no'." he said with a sigh.  
  
Scott shot a look at Logan and then refocused his attention on Isa. "Who are you and what were you doing following Niaga?" he demanded.  
  
Isa shifted his eyes again. They didn't know who he was? This would work to his advantage. He thought for sure they had seen him at some point, some fight, but apparently they were as unobservant and idiotic as Magneto had always told him they were. "My name is Isa and I saw Niaga fighting today. I live near here, so it's not hard for me to see what goes on at the school and I saw her leave, so I decided to talk to her." He said quickly, hoping that they were dense enough to take the excuse.  
  
Logan narrowed his eyes at Isa and then retracted his claws. "You're lucky this time bub. If you cross my path again, you may not be so lucky."  
  
Isa let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you. I promise, I will not go near the school without permission, and if I happen to go, I will not cross you, you have my word." He said as he slipped out from between them and began walking down the street very quickly.  
  
Scott turned to Logan. "I thought I was going to have to tell you not to skewer the kid." He said. He then looked around, suddenly realizing that Niaga was not with them anymore. "Crap. Where did she go now?" he said with an annoyed sigh.  
  
Logan began walking across the street. "C'mon. She said she wanted to walk and there is a park over here."  
  
Scott nodded and walked beside him. "Y'know, she can be almost as bad as you sometimes."  
  
"You can tell that after just a few hours?" Logan said with a smirk.  
  
"Well, with some people, you can just tell how they are going to be, present company included." Scott retorted.  
  
*****  
  
Niaga took her few moments of freedom from Scott and Logan to find a quiet place to hide. She made her way through the park and made a few turns on some small side streets. When she finally looked up from the ground to take in her surroundings, she was standing at the doorway of an abandoned church.  
  
Looking around to make sure no one saw her, Niaga crept up the decrepit stairs that led to the doors, which were hanging off of their hinges. She walked in carefully, taking in the details of the dilapidated building. The few pews that were there were covered in dirt and mold. The altar and podium were nothing more than a pile of wood. Hanging behind the podium was a large wooden cross.  
  
She cautiously walked around the church for a few minutes before dusting off a pew and lying down. From where she was laying, she had a clear view of the cross. She watched the cross for a few minutes in silence.  
  
"I know there is a reason for putting me here, I just wish you would tell me what it is." She said quietly, seemingly talking to herself, but to her, talking to God. "I mean, was it cause of Logan? Can he really be.no, he can't. It's just not possible!" she said. She looked at the cross and yawned. 'Maybe it is time to go back to the mansion.' She thought to herself. She stood and walked out of the church, making sure to note where it was located so she could visit it again, and walked back through the park, running into Logan and Scott.  
  
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Niaga." Scott said, placing a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Niaga rolled her eyes and pulled away from him. "I was in no danger and I knew where I was and what I was doing. I know my way back to the school, so just, leave me alone." She said sulkily.  
  
Logan looked at Scott with a raised brow. He never thought that Niaga would be the kind of person to show her emotions, well, besides anger. She seemed to show that a little *too* well. "What's your problem kid?" he asked as the trio began walking.  
  
Niaga looked up at Logan, looking at his facial features as if memorizing them. After a few moments, she turned her gaze back to the ground. "Nothing you need concern yourself with." She mumbled. Logan and Scott exchanged worried, and confused, glances and walked next to the girl in silence.  
  
When they returned to the mansion, Niaga went back to her room and stared at the picture of her family, falling asleep with it still in her hands. 


	3. 3

Niaga awoke the next day, feeling eyes watching her. She turned in her bed and found Jubilee and Rouge watching her. She yawned and rubbed her eyes and sat up. She glanced around the room quickly and saw that her picture was on her night stand.  
  
"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
Jubilee cleared her throat. "Uh, when we woke up, we went to wake you up and we found your picture on the floor.we didn't really mean to look at it, but it was face up and.is that Wolverine in the picture?"  
  
Niaga looked from Rouge to Jubilee. "I can't believe you two looked at my stuff. If it was on the ground, you should have left it on the ground." She grabbed an outfit, went to the bathroom, showered and changed, and stormed to Professor Xavier's office.  
  
//Professor, I need to talk to you.// she said telepathically.  
  
//Of course. My door is always open to you, Niaga.// he answered. He used his telekinetics to open the door and Niaga walked in and sat down.  
  
"Professor, is it possible to get my own room?" she asked. "I know that this school has a lot of students and you probably get that request a lot, but I need my own area. My own space. I have nothing against the other girls, I just need to be alone." She blurted out.  
  
Charles nodded, thinking about her situation. After a few moments, he smiled. "You will be given your own room, but only on one condition." He said, a twinkle in his eye.  
  
Niaga sighed. "Oh no. What is it?" she asked, almost dreading the answer.  
  
"Nothing to horrible. Many of the students were very interested in your fighting style. They want to learn. Would you be willing to teach them?" he asked. Niaga didn't answer immediately. "You're getting your own room really doesn't have much to do with you becoming an instructor here. You will have your own room because you are old enough to need your own room. But it would be appreciated if you did teach the students."  
  
Niaga thought about it for a few minutes before answering. "You'd have to buy a lot of equipment depending on how many kids want to learn, not to mention if they want to learn to swordfight as well."  
  
Xavier nodded. "I expected as much. Tell me what you need and I will get it for you."  
  
Niaga finally nodded. "Alright, I'll do it."  
  
Xavier smiled. "I'm glad. The students will be thrilled. There is one other thing I need to talk to you about."  
  
Niaga sighed. She knew what it was going to be about.  
  
//Why did you leave the school grounds last night?// he asked telepathically, concern on his face.  
  
//I had to think about some things.// she said, her voice mentally trailing off.  
  
//You worried all of us, Niaga. Is there anything you want to talk about? I may be able to help you.// he said, looking into her eyes.  
  
Niaga nervously turned her eyes from his. //You'll think I'm crazy.or just stupid.// she said sheepishly.  
  
Xavier put a comforting hand on her. //Talk to me, Niaga. It is the main reason I am here.//  
  
Niaga took a deep breath. //Sister Retsis gave me a picture of my family and the man, my father.he looks.he looks like Logan.and the name on the back is Logan.but, could it really be him?// she asked, doubt in her voice.  
  
Xavier nodded slowly. //It could be, but whether or not it is, I do not know for sure. Logan's past is a mystery, even to him, but the likenesses between you two.it wouldn't surprise me.//  
  
Niaga leaned back in her chair. //Is there any way to know for sure? I mean, I just want to know.it's been bugging me since I looked at that picture and saw the name on the back.//  
  
//There are two ways, but Logan would have to consent to it. We can try again to look into his mind for his past, but there is no guarantee that we will find anything. The other option is a lot easier and takes a lot less energy on mine and your part. A simple blood test.//  
  
"Do you think he would do it?" she asked aloud, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Niaga, something you must understand about Logan is that he will go to almost any lengths to find out about his past. If we explain it, then I am almost positive he would do it. We just have to ask." The professor answered with a comforting smile.  
  
Niaga looked up at him. "Can you ask him?" she asked nervously.  
  
Charles smiled. "Of course. Go get that picture, in case he wants proof and I will talk to him. Just come in once you've got it." He answered.  
  
Niaga smiled. "Thanks again professor. I really owe you." She said, running out of the room and straight into Logan. "Oh, sorry." She mumbled and quickly maneuvered around him, going to her room.  
  
Logan watched her run off and then went into the professor's office. "Why did she just run outa here?" he asked as he sat across from Xavier.  
  
"That is somewhat of a long story." Charles began. Slowly, Xavier explained his and Niaga's conversation. In the middle of the explanation, Niaga opened the door and stood next to it, clutching the photograph in her hands.  
  
When the explanation was finished, Logan looked from Niaga to Xavier like they had lost it, and he didn't mind saying what he thought. "You two are both wacko. How can I have a daughter and how can it be her?" he asked.  
  
Niaga felt slightly hurt by the comment. "Y'know, I wasn't to hot on you being my father either, Logan." She said coldly. "The only reason I even slightly believe it is because of this." She said, shoving the photo in Logan's face and storming out of the room.  
  
Logan looked at the photo and his jaw dropped. "I.is this.me?" he stuttered.  
  
Charles nodded. "We believe it is. The only way to know for sure is a blood test. Will you participate?" he asked.  
  
Logan set the picture on the professor's desk and nodded. "I'll do it. If she is a part of my past, I want to know."  
  
"Very well. Meet me in the hospital wing in fifteen minutes. I'll get Niaga." He said as he wheeled himself out of the office. He quickly found his way to Niaga's room and found her packing her things, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Niaga? Are you alright?" he asked in concern.  
  
Niaga shrugged. "I've been better." She choked out.  
  
"I know what Logan said seemed kind of harsh. He just didn't know what to think about everything." Xavier said, trying to comfort Niaga. "You yourself thought it unbelievable until a few moments ago. We all know Logan is not the best with words." He said with a slight smirk.  
  
Niaga smiled. "Did he consent?" she asked after a moment.  
  
Charles nodded. "He is waiting for us now." Niaga nodded and followed the professor to the hospital wing of the mansion, in the underground.  
  
Once Niaga and Logan were sitting, a small blood sample was taken from each. It only took a few minutes for the results to come back and both Niaga and Logan were shifting in their seats nervously. The results came back and Xavier looked at them and took a deep breath.  
  
"Before I tell you this, I want you both to know, this can change your lives forever. Are you both absolutely positive that you want to know this?" Niaga and Logan exchanged looks and slowly nodded. "Very well." He said. He handed Logan and Niaga a small piece of paper.  
  
Niaga looked at it and it slipped from her fingers. Logan did the same. They looked at each other and then fainted.  
  
*****  
  
"So Logan and Niaga are." Ororo said, her voice trailing off.  
  
"I can't believe it." Scott said in awe. "And when they found out they fainted?" he asked, trying to restrain from laughing.  
  
Charles nodded, a smile still on his face. "They both fainted. They reacted exactly the same; even their facial expressions were identical. It was very amusing."  
  
"Have they woken up yet?" Ororo asked.  
  
Charles shook his head. "No. They are still unconscious down there. They should be waking up soon. I am actually heading down there now."  
  
Scott grinned. "I'm coming with you. I have to see this."  
  
Ororo nodded her agreement and the three made their way down to the hospital where Niaga and Logan were still unconscious on their beds. They watched them for a few minutes before they finally began to stir.  
  
At the same time, Logan and Niaga groaned and sat up. They looked at each other, disbelief still on their faces.  
  
"I have a father." Niaga said, her voice trailing off.  
  
"I have a daughter." Logan said at the same time.  
  
"And it's you." They said in unison.  
  
When Charles, Scott, and Ororo heard this, they couldn't help but laugh aloud. When they did, Logan and Niaga turned their gazes to them and looked at them with a raised brow, making the three laugh harder.  
  
"It's like a mirror!" Ororo said between her laughs.  
  
"Exactly the same!" Scott choked out.  
  
"I can't believe we didn't notice it sooner." Charles said, a grin on his face.  
  
Niaga jumped off the bed she was laying on. "I think I need a walk." She said as she left the room.  
  
Logan threw his legs over the side of the bed. "I can't believe it." He said, still shocked.  
  
"You're not the only one. Now there are two of you." Scott said, rolling his eyes. "I think I'll go insane." He said with a smirk.  
  
Logan didn't notice. He looked up at Xavier. "I don't know how I'm gonna do this.me?...a father?... I don't know if I *can* do this." It was the first time that he could remember ever doubting himself in anything.  
  
*****  
  
Niaga left the hospital and ran out the front gate of the school. She began walking through the park towards the church when someone began walking beside her.  
  
"Hi Niaga." The person said.  
  
Niaga jumped. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the person. She turned and rolled her eyes when she saw who it was. "What do you want, Isa?" she asked, a heavy annoyance in her tone.  
  
Isa feigned hurt. "Honestly, Niaga. You don't have to be so mean. I thought we left off on a good note last night."  
  
"Go away." She said shortly as she quickened her pace, praying that the annoying boy would take the hint.  
  
"C'mon, I just want to get to know you." He said pleadingly.  
  
Niaga turned and faced him, giving him a cold glare. "Get to know me at another time when I do not have fifty million things on my mind and after you stop following and watching me. Until then, get lost and stay lost." She turned and resumed her walk through the park.  
  
Isa watched her go and sighed. 'She is gonna be a tough one to crack.I don't know how I am supposed to gain her trust. Maybe Magneto should have sent John instead of me.' He thought to himself as he slowly walked in the opposite direction of Niaga.  
  
*****  
  
Logan left the school and walked toward the park, assuming that Niaga would walk around the same area that she was in the night before. As he walked, he heard raised voices. He turned a corner and saw Niaga yelling at the Isa. 'Isn't that the kid from last night?' he thought to himself. He watched until Isa and Niaga started walking in opposite directions before he decided to catch up to Niaga. He followed her to the abandoned church and watched her walk inside. He looked at the old, decaying doors and got a pang of fear. What if she told him that she didn't want him to be her father? Or if she said that she wished she had never found out the truth?  
  
"Get a hold of yourself, Wolverine. Since when did you care what other people thought about you?" he said quietly to himself. He took a deep breath and walked up the stairs and through the doors to the church. When he walked in, he found Niaga lying on an old pew, looking at the sky through a whole in the roof. He sat in a pew behind her, unsure of what to say.  
  
"It's a hard thing to talk about, isn't it?" Niaga said quietly from the front pew.  
  
Logan nodded. "I don't know what to say, but I think I should say something." He said, sounding slightly lost.  
  
Niaga smiled slightly and sat up and faced Logan. "You don't *have* to say something. It is a hard thing to bring up."  
  
"I do have to say something. We just found out we're related! You can't find something like that out and just leave it." He said. He stood and began to pace in front of Niaga.  
  
"What do you want to say? You can't tell me that you never meant to give me up, because you forgot that I even existed. You can't tell me that you love me because you don't even know me. You can't tell me that everything is going to change and we are going to be best buds because you don't know that that is true." She reasoned calmly.  
  
"I don't know what I want to say, I just want to say something!" he said, frustrated.  
  
Niaga rolled her eyes. "Listen, I know we both want to say something, but right now there isn't much to say."  
  
"I can tell you that I don't know how to be a father, so don't expect much." Logan said rather sheepishly.  
  
Niaga smiled. "I can tell you that I'm not sure how a father should act, so I don't have great expectations, if any."  
  
Niaga smiled. "I can tell you that I'm not sure how a father should act, so I don't have great expectations, if any."  
  
Logan sighed. "Well, that's a relief anyways." Niaga laughed. "I mean, I just don't want to, y'know.let you down or something."  
  
"Logan, I have no expectations and you shouldn't either, because I can almost guarantee that I will meet none of them." Niaga said. She stood from the pew and stretched. "This is gonna be strange for us both."  
  
"Isn't this a little backwards?" Logan asked with a smirk and a raised brow. Niaga gave him a questioning look. "Isn't the father suppose to help the kid cope with things?"  
  
Niaga laughed. "No expectations, remember?" she said with a wink. She walked out the door of the church and headed back to the school.  
  
Logan walked beside her. "Maybe this whole father bit isn't as bad as I thought it would be." 


	4. Author's Note

Ok guys, this is just an Author's Note, don't get your hopes up ^_~. I am going on vacation for the majority of June, so I won't be posting anything until the end of the month, and if you normally talk to me online, I won't be there either, because I won't have access to a computer.  
  
Just cause I am all hyped up, I'm going to tell you what I'm doing cause I am so psyched!! Ok, my sister and I are going to Minneapolis, Minnesota to go to the Mall of America and see the Mary Tyler Moore statue in St. Paul. Then we are flying to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a Rebecca St. James concert and also to see all the old town stuff like the Liberty Bell and such. And then it is off to Manhattan New York! We are going to see a Broadway show (it's been something my sister has wanted to do since she was, like, 5) and see the Holocaust Museum and all the other touristy stuff! After that, we are going to Independence, Misery (Missouri) for family and then to Girard, Kansas for family..all in 18 days..it will be interesting, but I am so happy to get out of the smelly state (no, really, it really has this weird smell.seriously, come to Arizona and you will know what I'm talking about.)  
  
Anyways, so that is what I am going to be doing while I'm not writing stories and stuff.I will try to write while I'm gone, or at least get ideas for the stories and write when I get back home and post soon ^_^. Oh, also I won't be able to review any of y'all's great work, so I will do that when I get home as well ^_~. 


	5. Author's Note

Hey guys, guess what, I'm back ^_^, and I know you all missed me.ok, so you probably didn't, but that's not the point. While I was on vacation, I did think of some new ideas for all of my stories (all fifty of them -_-*), but you have to give me a chance to write everything. Hopefully within the next week I will have some new chapters posted. 


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